Crèche place shortage at crisis point in Louth

There are no places for children at creches in Louth at the moment, it has been revealed, with the sector at crisis point, according to Louth TD, Ruairí Ó Murchú.

The ‘crisis in the early years sector’ in Louth is ‘worse than it has ever been’, the Sinn Féin TD told the Dundalk Democrat, who has revealed that there are no places for children under two in Louth at the moment in creches, which he said is “putting parents in a really difficult position”.

There are, he said, pregnant women putting down their unborn child on waiting lists to try to get a place for when they return to work, such is the pressure on services.

Deputy Ó Murchú said he had been contacted by parents from the county, desperate to find a creche for their childred under under one year old, with mothers delaying their return to work so long that they are worried that they will lose their jobs.

In addition, the Louth TD says he is also dealing with a family where a preschooler had secured a place with an AIMS (Access and Inclusion Model that allows children with disabilities to attend preschool) worker, only to be told earlier this month that the place is no longer available because the creche cannot get anyone suitable to fill the position.

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Deputy Ó Murchú said: “It has become increasingly difficult in the last number of months for parents to find a creche place in Louth. Many places are not taking under-twos any more because of the additional staff ratios that are needed, while trying to find suitably qualified workers is getting harder.

“There is a massive crisis in preschool childcare and early learning that is a result of many factors, including the refusal by government to acknowledge that additional funding is needed in the sector, that hourly pay rates need to go up and workforce planning is not happening fast enough to get the staff into creches and preschool.

“This crisis is putting massive pressure on parents, who are having to rely on ad hoc arrangements with family and friends in order to return to work.”

Deputy Ó Murchú added that, “childcare was a hot topic during the election, with the government parties promising to match Sinn Féin’s €200 per month childcare costs cap, but in the months since the government has been formed, there has been no action to match their pre-election words and the crisis is only getting bigger.

“There is an urgent need to get to a public model of childcare where there are sufficient places staffed by early educators who are properly paid and valued.”